


Good Intentions

by Glass_Oceans



Category: Star Wars: Thrawn - Timothy Zahn
Genre: First Time, Frottage, M/M, Realisation of feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 16:29:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13438740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glass_Oceans/pseuds/Glass_Oceans
Summary: Thrawn and Eli have worked flawlessly as a team for many years now. But when Thrawn realises he has developed feelings for his companion, he is left facing a battlefield he is entirely unfamiliar with.





	Good Intentions

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Imperial Big Bag fic, written with art from the lovely [hazel-inle](http://hazel-inle.tumblr.com/).

There was mostly a companionable silence in the storage hold, save for the chiming of tools as Thrawn worked on the metal carapace of the battle droid, and the counterpoint rhythm of Eli tapping his fingers against the back of his datapad. This was their way of things; Thrawn preferred to learn his acquisitions from the inside out, while Eli sat near and searched for replacement components that were damaged beyond repair.

They had been working late after their shifts in the hold, ever since Thrawn had complained of an unspecific malaise that was leaving him restless in a way he couldn’t identify. He believed his cognitive function to be unimpaired, leaving him unhindered in the completion of his official duties. Besides which, he refused to submit himself to the ministrations of the med lab and become little more than their newest project, a specimen in their prime of a previously unstudied non-human biology, while his original ailment went overlooked. Under Eli’s apprehensive eye, Thrawn asserted that with time he would be able to discover the cause himself, and apply the solution.

Eli looked up as he saw Thrawn sit back from the panel he had been working on, arranging his tools neatly back into their case. He pushed off from the crate he had been leaning against, moving over to look over Thrawn’s shoulder at the progress he had made this evening. Thrawn considered even this part of Eli’s training, expecting him to observe all of the changes he had made and anticipate the next step. Thrawn watched from the corner of his eye as Eli’s brow furrowed in concentration.

“You replaced the wiring to the servo motors completely; it wasn’t salvageable then?”

Thrawn joined Eli in frowning at the machine for a moment.

“Unfortunately no, not with the manoeuvres I wish it to be able to perform.”

Eli looked back to his datapad, calling up a requisition form before presenting the ‘pad to Thrawn for authorisation.

“Ah, you located both the compatible circuit board replacement and the upgraded signal relay. Very impressive Ensign.”

Thrawn signed the order, handing the datapad back to Eli as he stood. Stowing away his tools in the crate Eli had been leaning against, he looked about the room even as one hand moved subconsciously to brush lightly against his thorax. Eli looked up over the datapad, eyes tracking the movement.

“Not feeling any better?”

Thrawn looked over to Eli, before dropping his gaze to his hand. He sighed, dropping the hand and clasping it behind his back, where it could at least be preventing from straying again.

“Apparently not,” Thrawn muttered. “Not to fear, I am sure it will pass in time.”

“I’m sure it will, Sir,” Eli replied, a twist of his mouth the only indication of concerns Thrawn would no longer let him voice. “So are we finished here?”

Thrawn cast his gaze over the open panel work of the droid he had been working on; the area was clear of tools and any lubricant spills.

“Yes, I believe we-“

As Thrawn had turned back around, he had caught Eli in the middle of one of the long stretches he so favoured. Datapad still held loose in one hand, he had clasped that wrist with the other hand, stretching both arms high above his head so his sleeves pulled back to reveal the pale skin of his wrists. Thrawn’s eyes dropped down the length of his arms, noting how his head had fallen back, eyelashes fluttering over his cheeks, lips moist and parted as he let out a low moan as his muscles released their tension. Thrawn felt the perturbed sensation that had been plaguing him for weeks erupt in his chest with renewed vigour.

Oh.

Oh no.

-are,” he finished as Eli dropped his arms and opened his eyes to look at him.

“Great,” Eli grinned. “Let’s get back to quarters then. Dibs on the refresher.”

Thrawn kept his silence as they walked back to their shared quarters; a fringe benefit that allowed him to keep his aide and translator nearby. Eli was content to walk in silence, his stride matching Thrawn’s and seeming not to notice how the alien was lost in thought.

Though his attendance at the Royal Imperial Academy was brief, at great deal of information had been covered, foremost of which in his mind was that of the policy of fraternization. If Thrawn was to act on his desires towards Eli, as his superior officer, charges could be laid against him that greatly hinder his long term plans to say the least. Even if Eli was willing to maintain a subterfuge, there would be risk of their being discovered, which would likely lead to the same end. And yet… Thrawn was a non-human, something that many factors of the Imperial Army held against him, his superior and foreign intellect too much for their fragile egos to bear. With that same unfamiliar spirit in mind, could be perhaps argue that he did not fully understand the implications and policies that rules of conduct attempted to impose?

Certainly he would not be interested in an unwilling partner, but as a Chiss, he never truly expected to find himself attracted to an alien. As Eli turned to him as they entered the door to their quarters, his eyes reflecting the cool tones of their shared social area, Thrawn felt his stomach drop. If these feelings were maintained without resolution, they could indeed result in a negative impact on his performance. It was possible too that action would result in binding Eli tighter to him, so he would be less likely to share his, admittedly limited, information on the Chiss.

As Eli disappeared into his own bedroom, Thrawn sat down on the couch in the main room, retrieving his personal datapad. With the best of intentions, this was an opportunity he could not allow to pass by.

* * *

Familiar as he was with strategy, patience was something that should have come easily to him. However, Thrawn found himself on edge as he waited for delivery of the items that he needed to put his plan into effect.

The gold dust had been the easiest part to acquire; even with the quality he required. He had paid an additional change for a specialised delivery, one that would ensure the package would go through customs without any unnecessary handling, more than out of concern that it might go missing. He knew he would use only a small amount of what he had ordered, but it was of greatest importance that the first hands to touch it were his.

The brushes had been next. A set made with white hair shaved from the throats of eight week old loth-cats, almost unimaginably soft, it was the closest in texture he could be sure of to the brushes available on his home world. The brush handles were carved hard wood, dark enough to be almost black, but which would pick up blue highlights under the right conditions. Conditions he was unlikely to find on a star destroyers, but that was a minor detail.

Acquiring the water had been his biggest shame. If he were home to go through this ritual, he would have been expected to hike to a nearby glacier at the start of spring, travelling until he found a rivulet of melt water. If his timing was correct, the stream would have already passed through several Eifonna saplings as they grew through the weakening ice, their sap mingling with the water to create a very mild adhesive that was somewhat aphrodisiac in certain concentrations, sufficient for ensuring that the dust would cleave to the skin until the words could be exchanged. As returning to Csilla was not an option, he had been forced to accept the import of some filtered water and a common tree sap.

Nothing was exactly as it should be, but when Thrawn caught himself glancing at Eli, he couldn’t find that he minded too much. An alien could not be expected to understand all of the subtleties of the gesture, even one as much potential as Eli Vanto. He must focus on the goal of his endeavours, and trust that he could atone for the inaccuracies at some later time.

The unexpected hurdle which Thrawn then faced was notification of the items arrival that was sent to Eli, not to him. Certainly in was within protocol that his aide would be expected to collect and examine any mail deliveries that were addressed to him. But it certainly wasn’t dignified that he found himself running through the corridors of the Blood Crow, trying to intercept Eli before he had a chance to open any of the packages.

“Lieutenant!”

Thrawn screeched to a halt in front of Eli, who stood with arms full of plain wrapped packages, half emerged from the mailroom and looking more than a little relieved that Thrawn had managed to come to a stop in time.

“Ah, Ensign Vanto,” Thrawn said, struggling to disguise his breathlessness. “I had been seeking you.”

“Yes Sir, what can I do for you?”

Thrawn dropped his gaze to the parcels in Eli’s grasp, easily picking out the maker’s mark on some of the packages.

“Thank you for collecting my mail Ensign. I will take it from here.”

Eli frowned as Thrawn began to pluck the packages from his arms.

“Are you sure Sir? It is-”

“Nonsense,” interrupted Thrawn, looking over each parcel as he took charge of it. “I have been waiting for these for personal reasons pertaining to…”

He trailed off as he held up a larger than expected package, unable to determine what the contents might be. Eli cleared his throat.

“That’s the new circuit board, Sir. For the droid.”

“Ah.”

Thrawn handed back over the package, choosing to ignore the smile that tugged at the corner of Eli’s lips.

“I’ll just leave this in the storage bay, shall I?”

“Yes, if you would.”

Eli gave a crisp salute before spinning on his heel and walking away. Thrawn adjusted the parcels in his arms and hurried back to their quarters.

If the wait previously had been difficult, now it had become downright intolerable. On returning to his quarters with his mail, Thrawn had only enough time to unwrap the contents to ensure their condition, before Eli returned from his errand. Thrawn secured the items in a lock box under his bed, and did his best to put their presence from his mind as he waited for an opportunity to arise. Thankfully that moment arrived sooner rather than later, in the guise of a series of lectures Eli was required to attend as an ensign, which Thrawn was excused from.

Knowing precisely to the minute when he could expect Eli’s return, Thrawn carried his supplies into the refresher to prepare. He laid out a silk scarf on the shelf over the sink, laying out his materials. His chest tightened briefly as he thought of his brother. If everything of this ceremony was as it should be, Mitth'ras'safis would be here to assist him in everything from mixing the paint to deciding how best to apply it in patterns on his skin… Thrawn huffed out a breath. No matter. This was not a formal declaration to another Chiss, merely a gesture to one who had caught his attention. It would suffice.

Thrawn began by decanting the water into a shallow dish. He sprinkled the dried tree resin on top, watching as it absorbed moisture and began to mingle with the fluid, giving the water a slight amber tint. When the mixture was homogenous, he sprinkled the gold dust over the surface, taking up the stirring stick that came with the brushes and swirling the water, making the motes of gold sparkle and dance within the water. He repeated this step several times, until he could no longer see the wood of the stirrer beneath the layer of gold paint when he lifted it from the dish.

He could hear Thrass’s voice in his mind as he picked up the first brush, its rounded head ideal for the broad, sweeping strokes that would form the basis of his design. Thrass had always had a better eye than Thrawn for these touches, and Thrawn called him to mind now as he let the soft white hairs soak up the gold paint.

He began by placing the brush on the bridge of his nose, sweeping it up and over the ridges above his eyes before twisting the brush into his hairline. Recharging the brush, he repeated the action on the other side. Thrass might have been brave enough to venture an asymmetric pattern, but Thrawn favoured a more traditional look. Dipping the brush again, he drew another set of lines from his temples, following the curve of his cheek bone to point towards the curve of his lips.

Setting down the brush, he picked up a smaller brush and began to draw in an intricate series of lines across his cheeks. To a knowledgeable eye, a person might be able to pick out the twists and turns of a labyrinth in his designs. Someone who was worthy might even be able to trace their way from beginning to end. The pattern completed, he painted a series of dots to either side of his nose and under his eyes, completing the trail along the marks he had earlier drawn on his forehead. The very centre of his forehead he left clear; that was the duty of his intended to fill.

Thrawn set down the last brush and stepped back from the mirror, lifting his head so the lights of the refresher would catch the golden lines on his skin, glinting and flashing as he turned. He had used two of the three brushes that were ordered; two lay on the silk, the excess gold on their bristles wicking into the silk, while the third as yet lay untouched. The third would be for Eli to use, to make his own mark on Thrawn’s skin, uniting their patterns. Thrawn was certain he would understand-

Nothing. He would understand nothing.

Thrawn felt his stomach drop as he head the outer door open, Eli’s voice following shortly after.

“Thrawn? Are you in here?”

Thrawn cursed under his breath and grabbed his washcloth, frantically scrubbing at his face to remove the gold. Thrawn felt his stomach drop as he cursed himself for a fool, for letting his emotions interfere to such an extent. Certainly he could explain to Eli the meaning of the adornment, and his role, but it would rather take away from the spontaneity of the moment, remove the softer setting Thrawn had planned for with that of dry lecture.

“Thrawn? Ah, there you... is that glitter?”

Thrawn looked up, washcloth clutched in this hands and gold paint smeared liberally over his cheeks. He tried to pull himself together under Eli’s amused stare, willing away the flush that threatened to creep over his cheeks.

“It is gold dust.”

“Ah,” Eli replied, fighting back a smile. “Expensive glitter.”

Thrawn felt his brow lower to a frown at Eli, and turned resolutely away, scrubbing his face with renewed vigour.

“Anyway,” Eli said, leaning against the doorframe of the refresher. “I was coming to see if you wanted to head for something to eat in the canteen. But it looks like you’re going to be here for a while.”

Eli laughed as he dodged the washcloth as it flew from Thrawn’s hand.

“Right well,” Eli said, grin wide across his face. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Thrawn glared at Eli as he backed away from the fresher, which did nothing to diminish his grin. Thrawn turned back to the mirror, touching one gold smeared cheek, wincing as he heard Eli’s hoot of laughter as the door to their quarters closed. He was going to have to try something else entirely.

* * *

Thrawn’s next opportunity did not arise for several more days. He knew he could not rely on his own cultural cues with Eli’s currently level of knowledge, but he wasn’t sure how well Eli would respond to his own cultural cues; those Thrawn had picked up anyway.

Thrawn was still musing over this when he returned to their quarters to find Eli already there. He startled in his place on the couch, blinking blearily as Thrawn moved past him.

“Tired?”

“It’s these reports,” Eli replied, dropping the datapad he had been holding into his lap. “I’m trying to review them for Snr. Lieutenant Deyland, but they’re drier than Tatooine.”

Thrawn nodded in acknowledgement and returned to perusing his collection of texts. He pulled out two ‘pads, looking over their table of contents before replacing them on the shelf. None of them seemed sufficient to command this consideration this evening.

A small noise drew his attention. On the couch, Eli was drifting off again, his head resting against one fist, while the datapad in the other slowly lowered to his lap as his consciousness dimmed. Well now. Perhaps this was what he had been waiting for. He had read studies that told of how humans favoured contact with trusted companions when they slept, for security and comfort, while also improving the pack bond. How simple it would be to have Eli return his affections.

Thrawn plucked a datapad from the shelves, barely looking at the title as he moved carefully to the couch where Eli was still sleeping. Eli’s datapad was fully in his lap now, his grip on it loose, even his mouth a little slack. Perfect.

Turning on his heel, Thrawn allowed himself to fall back onto the couch, his arm brushing against Eli’s as he fell into the cushions. Eli jumped as Thrawn landed beside him, the couch shaking under his weight. He jumped again as his datapad began sliding down his legs, catching it before it could tip to the floor. Thrawn ignored the frown developing on his face as he turned slightly away from him, shuffling about on the couch as if trying to find a comfortable position.

With Eli’s arm pressing against his back, Thrawn could feel tension, not the ease of pack bonding he was hoping for. Perhaps his position wasn’t right yet. Shuffling away from Eli, he moved down the couch before turning and lying on his stomach, throwing his legs over Eli’s lap. Through the reflection on his own pad, Thrawn could see Eli with his hands slowly coming down from where he’d raised them out of the way of Thrawn’s legs.

“What the hell, Thrawn?”

“Hmm?”

Eli’s arms were down now, but he was holding them right to his chest rather than resting them on the backs of Thrawn’s boots. He was trying to meet Thrawn’s eyes through the reflection on his datapad. Thrawn met his gaze, attempting to smother the smile threatening to break out on his lips.

“What are you doing?”

Thrawn powered up the ‘pad, the look Eli was giving him disappearing in the brightness of the screen. He stretched out across the couch, shifting his legs slightly on Eli’s lap before he got replied.

“Getting comfortable.”

There was no response from Eli, and Thrawn allowed himself to smile as he began to read. The manual was one he had read before, but he could allow the lapse if he advanced on his other projects. He flicked through the pages, making a few short notes. As time passed he could feel Eli relax under him, and he was tempted to power down the ‘pad for a moment to try and catch a glimpse of his expression. Fighting a battle with one’s enemy unseen at one’s back was-

Thrawn let out an undignified squawk as he felt himself tumbling towards the ground. Twisting around on the floor, Thrawn looked up to see Eli standing and staring at him.

“What was that for?”

As Thrawn watched, Eli lifted his arms as if stretching, opening his mouth wide in a mock yawn.

“Gosh, I seem to be awfully tired. I best go to bed. Goodnight Thrawn.”

Thrawn remained on the floor, resting his arms across his knees as he watched Eli flee from the room. This endeavour, or rather his lack of success, was becoming extremely vexing.

* * *

Eli started into space as he got undressed, his hands flying over the closures of his uniform with familiar ease. His mind was racing and he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep for some time yet, but anything had to be better than sitting outside with Thrawn using him as his personal pillow. Eli sighed as he pulled his pyjama t-shirt over his head. Thrawn had been acting strange since he had come down with… whatever strange alien virus it was he’d picked up. Eli wished he’d just gone to med bay to get it looked at, it had to be better than dealing with him like this.

He pulled back the blankets of his bed and climbed under the covers, tossing and turning, even resorting to punching his pillow repeatedly. Holding it over his face he groaned aloud into it’s stuffing. No-one else had noticed anything amiss with the alien. Not the captain or any of the engineers he regularly consulted with. But then, none of them spent as much time with him as Eli did, nor had any knowledge of his culture, so maybe they just weren’t aware of the cultural cues he was picking up on. After all, if Thrawn was human-

Eli froze, staring at the wall opposite his bunk. If Thrawn was human, he might think he was flirting. Ineptly, but flirting all the same. But if couldn’t be, Thrawn had never before discussed or shown any interest in showing affection. It couldn’t be. It just.. No, it wasn’t right. Eli had to be mistaken. Right?

* * *

While nothing had changed on the surface, each man in his own way seemed to be aware of the steps they each took. They looked at each glance, at each motion as an indicator to confirm their own suspicions. Small hints, snippets of information were all there was to be found, but each found they wanted something to come to a head, for the dance to move into the next figure or to draw to a close, as long as it brought to the end this building tension.

Thrawn and Eli walked back to their berth after their shift, each in silent step with the other as was their habit. Eli had a datapad in his hands, already running through the challenges Thrawn had set him to find from simple shipping data, while Thrawn walked with hands clasped behind his back, watching the way ahead so he could guide the ensign out of harm's way should someone come against them.

Entering their rooms, Eli sat on his usual place on the couch, now giving his full attention to the reports in front of him. Almost his full attention. As Thrawn moved towards the couch, he watched his subtly from the corner of his eye, relaxing almost imperceptibly when Thrawn took a place at the far end, leaving a good distance between them. Eli cleared his throat and resumed his reading.

Most evenings they would sit in silence, each content with their own world, but this evening Eli found himself asking questions of Thrawn, as he worked through the puzzles. Thrawn turned towards him as he answered each one, a half smile playing on his face. He seemed especially tolerant of Eli’s questioning, teasing him along with answering questions and clues.

Eli tensed when Thrawn set down his datapad and got up from the couch. Thrawn moved away towards his own bedroom, and Eli stared at the markings on his ‘pad that refused to be read, clearing his throat and fighting the sinking feeling in his stomach. He didn’t look up when Thrawn returned, at least, not until Thrawn leaned back against the cushion and a flash of colour caught his eye.

Looking over Eli could see that Thrawn had removed his undershirt, but still wore his tunic, open over his bare chest. The pale blue flush of his chest and stomach was a bright counterpoint to the olive drab of his uniform. It was… extremely eye catching. Eli found his eyes traveling across that smooth expanse, not really aware of how he was staring until he lifted his gaze to meet Thrawn’s amused look.

“Problem?”

Eli flushed, suddenly unsure of where he could look.

“I.. no.. I mean.. No, sir, no problem.”

“Eli…”

“Sir?”

“No titles in the quarters, remember?”

“Ah, yes si-, Thrawn. Sorry.”

Thrawn picked up his pad again and Eli resumed staring at figures which were not making even less sense than before. He tried to will the flush from his face, fighting the urge to press his fingers inside the collar and release the tightness from around his neck. He didn’t dare ask Thrawn any more questions, couldn’t bring himself to risk looking back at him and wanting to pull the tunic aside to see even more of his flesh...

Eli frowned at his datapad, as if expecting to see his unwarranted thoughts march across in bold text, visible for anyone to see. He noted Thrawn’s exit with relief, immediately pulling off his gloves, tugging at his tunic to release the uppermost fastening to gulp down air like a man drowning. When he heard the door of Thrawn’s room reopen, he sat forward, leaning on his knees to try and hide his attention from whatever it was Thrawn was up to.

He felt the couch cushions shift as Thrawn settled back into place. The silence stretched as Eli imagined he could feel Thrawn’s curiosity settle on him like a blanket. He could hear the mischief in Thrawn’s voice as he asked a series of questions, all designed to encourage Eli to look towards him and engage. Eli was determined that he wouldn’t let Thrawn win this round. He congratulated himself when he heard Thrawn sigh and lapse into silence, until a small motion appeared in the corner of his eye.

He frowned as the motion continued, feeling his brows lower. He had all but given up trying to read the reports, only holding the datapad up to give him something to look at besides Thrawn. His curiosity was squirming in his gut, insisting he turn and discover what was moving beside him. No doubt this was what Thrawn was relying on, a battle of wills he was confident he would win when all he had to do was wait Eli out.

Eli groaned as he lowered the ‘pad, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. He swung his head to the side, and almost laughed aloud. Thrawn had removed his boots and his bare foot bobbed back and forth from it’s perch over his knee, keeping time to some unknown tune. Eli shook his head, looking up at Thrawn’s face, skimming over the bare expanse of his chest now that his tunic had been cast off along with his boots. Thrawn was watching him with a sly grin.

“Is everything alright Eli?”

Eli barked a laugh, throwing his datapad onto the cushion between them and stretching out his arm on the couch between them.

“Oh, I’m absolutely fine, thank you,” he said, false cheer spilling tight from his voice. “And you? Bit warm were you?”

Thrawn shrugged, a smooth motion of well honed muscles, the motion drawing Eli’s eyes before he brought them back to Thrawn’s face.

“Something like that, I suppose.”

“Should I adjust the environmental controls? Get you a chilled drink?”

“Thank you Eli, that won’t be necessary. I think I know myself what is required.”

Eli watched as Thrawn stood up and went to his room for the third time. There was no point in hiding now, so he watched the subtle shift of muscles in his back as he walked, the faint lines from where the fabric of the couch had pressed against his skin. As he disappeared into his bedroom, Eli turned around and pressed his hands to his face. Ok, so he’d been wrong. Very wrong. He had no idea what kind of dodgy source Thrawn had gotten his information from but Eli was sure now that Thrawn was hitting on him. And Eli actually wanted-

As the door reopened, Eli found himself flying from his seat to face the shelves of their miniature library, resting his shaking hands on the edge of the shelf. He could hear Thrawn crossing the floor towards him. Closing his eyes did nothing to help him calm his racing heart. Neither did the feeling of Thrawn drawing so close he could practically feel his breath on the back of his neck. He felt miserably exposed standing here, as if Thrawn had been able to see right through to his soul. He wasn’t sure what Thrawn was waiting for. Kriff, he wasn’t even sure what he was waiting for.

“Your blush is giving you away Eli.”

Eli shook his head, feeling even more heat bloom in his cheeks. Removing his hands from the shelves, he turned around, opening them to find Thrawn standing so, so close. Thrawn smiled, his earlier amusement absent, replaced with something more fragile.

“Chiss are not often wrong in the decisions we make, but tell me Eli, have I been wrong about this? Is this not something you want too?”

Eli cocked his head slightly as he regarded Thrawn. His thoughts would spin out of control right now if he let them, the nervousness that sat in his stomach would spread to his limbs and he would take flight. Instead he drew in a shaky breath, his hand twitching in anticipation of motion. He raised that hand slowly, lifting his eyes to Thrawn’s carefully combed hair.

Tentatively at first, he ran his fingers over the combed strands, the pressure from the touch starting to loosen them from their styling. Emboldened by Thrawn’s stillness, he combed his fingers gently through Thrawn’s hair, loosening the hair and letting it fall loose over his forehead. He moved his hand to repeat the motion on the other side, teasing at the hair until it stuck up in wild strands at the front, looking like Eli imagined it did when Thrawn emerged from the ‘fresher, before he had a chance to smooth it to order. He smiled at his handiwork, rubbing the cool strands between his fingertips.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” Eli said.

Eli followed the path of his fingers with his gaze as he began to lower his hand, stroking along the sharp planes of Thrawn’s forehead and cheek. He was conscious of Thrawn’s patient admiration, but he couldn’t summon the courage to look into his eyes just yet. His hand stopped on Thrawn’s jawbone, smooth and free of stubble as it always looked. He found himself now staring at Thrawn’s lips, slightly darker than his skin, and thought to wonder if they would be cooler than a human’s, like Chiss supposedly were. He brought his other hand up to caress Thrawn’s other cheek, shaking so badly he almost jumped when Thrawn raised his own hand, placing it over Eli’s. But in that moment he brought up his own eyes, meeting Thrawn’s glowing eyes, and before his nerve deserted him completely, he leaned in.

As soon as his lips made contact with Thrawn, all thoughts of Chiss biology were drowned out by the joyful singing in his mind. Thrawn was so, so gentle, letting Eli lead the kiss, encouraging him with soft pressure. Thrawn ran his hand down Eli’s arm, over his tunic, settling it on his waist. Eli had no such opportunity to caress Thrawn without touching his skin, so he settled for holding his face in his hands, leaning into the kisses more insistently.

He felt Thrawn’s other hand come up, settling on the other side of his waist, but when he felt Thrawn’s fingers hooking into the belt loops of his tunic, tugging at him, he grinned into the kiss. Thrawn pulled a little harder and Eli laughed, resting their foreheads together as he began to shuffle after Thrawn. He was concerned about landing his still booted feet on top of Thrawn’s bare ones, but they moved together like well-rehearsed dancers, leaving Eli wondering exactly how much thought Thrawn had put into this plan.

Thrawn led them into his own room, and as the door closed behind them, Eli felt nervousness flutter through his limbs again. He drew his hands down from Thrawn’s shoulders, withdrawing, but before he got far Thrawn was pressing into him, kissing him without the reserve he’d shown earlier. Eli whined high in his throat as he felt Thrawn press every part of his body against Eli’s. It wasn’t nearly enough, not yet, and Eli fumbled to pull off his gloves, desperate to feel Thrawn’s skin under his hands. Gloves thrown to the floor, Eli drew his hands over Thrawn’s shoulders, holding onto one while the other slid up his neck to further muss his hair.

He could feel Thrawn’s hands moving too, heard the clatter as his belt dropped to the floor, before Thrawn began working on the fastenings of his tunic and shirt together. Thrawn was working far too slowly for Eli’s liking, but moving with a reverence that made Eli’s head spin. As Thrawn slid the tunic open, his hands moved over Eli’s muscles, caressing and massaging his skin, soothing and inflaming him with every motion. Whatever Thrawn’s questionable skills of informing Eli of his intentions, Eli could not have objected if he tried.

Eli let his head fall back as Thrawn moved to kiss his neck, easing the clothing from his upper body. Thrawn sank to his knees as he pushed the clothing from Eli’s shoulders. Eli moved his hands back reluctantly to allow the garments to fall to the floor, reaching forward again as soon as he was able to continue carding his hands through Thrawn’s hair. Thrawn pulled his head back as he opened the fastenings of Eli’s trousers, pressing a kiss to each of his palms before exposing more of his skin and continuing his worship of it.

Eli felt a soft whimper escape his throat as Thrawn’s fingers teased at the soft skin at the backs of his legs, so much as the uniform would allow. He stood again, easing Eli’s hungry kisses with flicks of his tongue as he moved him backwards, easing him down onto the bed. Eli didn’t want to let go, but Thrawn eased himself from his grasp until he was able to grasp Eli’s boots, pulling them free and removing the last of his clothes so Eli was as naked as he was. Thrawn nudged his feet gently until Eli shuffled back on the bed, propped up on his elbows so he could watch as Thrawn made his way back up his body.

Thrawn rested one hand on Eli’s ankle, pressing a kiss to the arch of his foot. The other hand caressed up his leg, until his lips followed to press a kiss to the side of his knee. Thrawn gently turned Eli to his side as he moved, leaning on one elbow as he moved, kisses following the gentle touches of his fingers over Eli’s skin. When he finally got close enough, Eli brushed his hand against Thrawn’s chin, pulling his attention up to Eli’s face. Thrawn smiled at him, following the gentle encouragement and Eli gasped and moaned into Thrawn’s mouth as the Chiss surged up to kiss him, bringing their bodies into glorious contact.

Eli felt himself fighting the haze that threatened to blank out all of his other thoughts, wanting to stay in Thrawn’s arms, but also wanting to return his attentions, tasting his skin and kissing those soft places just to hear him sigh. But Thrawn kept one hand firm on his lower back, and tangled their legs together.

“No, Eli,” he murmured, drawing his hand from Eli’s temple to his chin. “You’re already giving me this. Allow me to give you what you deserve.”

At that Thrawn rolled his hips, and Eli cried out, his arms clinging tighter to Thrawn’s shoulders. Thrawn tightened his grip across Eli’s back, holding him close as he dragged his hips in slow circles against Eli. Eli arched into the sensation, baring his neck for Thrawn’s attentions. Thrawn gave open mouthed kisses along Eli’s neck, feeling the thrum of his pulse under his lips. He stretched his neck so he could move down to Eli’s collarbone, leaving a trail of kisses there as he listened to the sounds that fell from his lips.

Thrawn moved to catch Eli’s lips with his own, their kisses sloppy now. Thrawn could feel the tension coiling in Eli’s body, the desperate little noises he was making as he clung as tightly as possible to Thrawn. Thrawn could feel his own pleasure cresting in the head behind his eyes and the flush that was creeping down his body. When they separated for air, both gasping, Thrawn nuzzled his nose against Eli’s cheek, whispering his name.

“Eli..”

Eli moaned, dragging his consciousness up to where he could respond to Thrawn.

“Eli.. show me…”

Eli began to nuzzle back, stealing light kisses as Thrawn’s words began to filter through.

“Show me Eli… show me what humans do together…”

Haltingly Eli pulled one hand from around Thrawn’s shoulders, sliding it down his body as if he was reluctant to sacrifice the contact even for a moment. Thrawn loosened his grip around Eli’s hips as Eli’s hand snaked between them, and Thrawn’s eyes fluttered closed as Eli’s hand grasped around them both.

Sliding his hand to their tips, he slicked his palm on the fluid that had gathered there, drawing it down them both, producing a deep groan from Thrawn. Eli’s eyes opened wide; this was the first such noise he had produced from the Chiss. Twisting his wrist on the next stroke, Thrawn moaned again, almost falling towards Eli as he sought more kisses. The hunger between them both and the writhing of their bodies left little room for Eli to move his hand, but he stroked them both with the desperate need that was building almost tangibly in the air around them.

Thrawn moved his hand from Eli’s back, stroking over his hip and down his thigh until he was able to hook it behind Eli’s knee, using it to pull Eli close as he began to thrust his hips in earnest. Eli stilled his hand, simply holding them both close as the Chiss moved, trembling with the force that was pooling in his body.

“Thrawn… Thrawn, I-”

Eli threw his head back, his whole body going taut as his climax tore through his body. He was dimly aware of where Thrawn’s body touched his, but it wasn’t enough, wasn’t nearly as close as he wanted. He felt Thrawn groan into the column of his neck, baring his teeth against his throat as his hips thrust one final time, and he spent himself over Eli’s hand.

As Eli came back to himself, he could feel Thrawn shivering as he lay still curled into Eli’s body. Raising his clean hand, he began to stroke gently through Thrawn’s hair, patiently waiting for him to recover. When Thrawn finally pulled back from Eli, leaving a kiss behind as he did, Eli smiled to see Thrawn blinking groggily at him. Eli leaned in to kiss him gently, little more than pressing their lips together.

He pulled his hand from between their bodies, fumbling for a corner of the bedsheet to clean off the worst of the mess. They’d both have to shower, neither of them could be sure yet of the effects of the other’s biology on their skin. Maybe they could even shower together Eli thought with a smile, but for the moment, he didn’t want to move far.

Tossing aside the sheet, he settled back against Thrawn, drawing his hand in lazy circles over his skin, watching the small smiles appear on Thrawn’s face as he drew patterns on his skin. Every now and then he’d lean in to catch that smile with his own, trying hard not to grin at the contented sighs Thrawn made.

When Thrawn finally opened his eyes, though half-lidded and lazy, Eli couldn’t resist the sly thought that crossed his mind.

“So,” he grinned. “Is this what the glitter was about?”


End file.
